Hairpiece-to-hair connector and fastener

ABSTRACT

Hairpiece-to-hair linking and fastening means through the medium of which one can expeditiously and reliably join postiches, for example, curls, wiglets, braids, falls, ponytails and the like to a lock of natural hair. It comprises at least one, usually two, ringlike or annular compressibly resilient integrated but severable collars, each collar providing a circular opening across which an end portion of the lock of hair (artificial or natural) is placed, buckled and temporarily anchored by way of an insertable and removable compressibly resilient ball-type fastener. A plastic strap links the ball fastener to the collar.

United States Patent Inventor Phil .1. Greenwood P.O. Box 1062, Decatur,111. 62525 Appl. No. 61,666 Filed Aug. 6, 1970 Patented Dec. 14, 1971HAIRPIECE-TO-HAIR CONNECTOR AND FASTENER 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 132/46 R Int. Cl A4511 8/00 Field of Search 132/46 R, 46 A, 39,41, 43, 48

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1921 Tolman 132/39 7' 2,179,75111/1939 McFadden 2,302,480 11/1942 Tara Primary Examiner Louis G.Mancene Assistant ExaminerGregory E. McNeil] Attorneys-Clarence A.O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: Hairpiece-to-hair linking andfastening means through the medium of which one can expeditiously andreliably join postiches, for example, curls, wiglets, braids, falls,ponytails and the like to a lock of natural hair. It comprises at leastone, usually two, ringlike or annular compressibly resilient integratedbut severable collars, each collar providing a circular opening acrosswhich an end portion of the lock of hair (artificial or natural) isplaced, buckled and temporarily anchored by way of an insertable andremovable compressibly resilient ball-type fastener. A plastic straplinks the ball fastener to the collar.

HAlRPIECE-TO-HAIR CONNECTOR AND FASTENER This invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in attaching means for hairpiecessuch as curls, wiglets, braids, ponytails and other types of postichesand has to do more particularly, with a structurally and functionallyunique innovation which is designed and adapted to be used in lieu ofcombs, bobby pins, hairpins and clips such as are commonly used.

The regularly followed and customarily accepted practice of attachingand fastening an artificial hairpiece to a persons natural hair involvesthe use of varying types of combs, bobby pins, hairpins, clips, claspsand the like. It is common knowledge that these types of hair fastenersare quite undesirable for reason that they cannot be depended on due tothe fact that they lack the desired connecting and retention power. Thissituation has long posed a problem when, for instance, the wearer who isoutdoors on a windy day or when engaged actively in sports or whiledancing and cannot rely on currently used fasteners. Presently usedcombs, pins and the like are known to slip, loosen and fall out with theresult that the postiche is not only insecure, it can and doescompletely detach itself. Then, too, and because of time and monetarydifficulties, the wearer may desire to sleep with postiches attached butin so doing has to run the risk of causing the same to detach themselvesand be forced to revisit her beautician. To the ends desired, the hereindisclosed invention is an advance in the art and when properly used willenable users to successfully cope with the overall problem in that it ispossessed of practical and meritorious advantages not attainable withcommonly used connectors and fasteners.

Experience has shown that the instant hairpiece-to-hair coupling andfastening device lends itself to adaptable use in conjunction with hairof long, medium and short length and, despite styling changes, its useis acceptably practical. Also, and because of its simplicity inconstruction and mass production capabilities the actual unit price canbe less than many hair holders and fasteners currently on the openmarket. It insures an effectually reliable linking connection betweenthe natural and artificial hair-ends, yet is quickly, easily andpainlessly applied and removed. Further and for best results thecomponent parts are made of appropriately pliable and compressiblyresilient material which adapts with requisite nicety to the hair it isto be associated with.

ln carrying out the principles of the concept no metals or irregularsurfaces are used that could conceivably injure the wearers scalp. Infact the inherent yieldable properties of the several coordinatingcomponents will not damage the wearer's hair when efficiently used.

Briefly, the invention pertains to a simple one-piece adaptation madefrom appropriate moldable plastic material and which is feasible for usewhen one desires to connect curls, wiglets, falls, ponytails, braids andother types of postiches to the ends of the shafts of a lock of naturalhair and which, more explicitly, has to do with a hairpiece-to-hairconnector and fastening means. The simplest embodiment pertains to atleast one adapter collar defining an opening across which the hairshafts of a lock of natural or artificial hair are normally positionedand stretched for temporary anchorage and retention. This collar and theopening which it provides lends itself to use in conjunction withcompanion fastening means, that is, a member which is carried by thecollar and is expressly designed and adapted to be removably butretentively lodged in the opening in a manner to clinch and couple thelock of hair to the collar.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the collar ismade of compressibly resilient material. The fastening means is likewisemade of compressibly resilient material. The opening is circular in planand the fastening means is ball-like in form and of a prescribed sizethat it can be yieldingly but releasably plugged into the opening. Thecollar is annular in plan and the body or annular portion thereof iscircular in cross section, making the opening correspondingly circularin plan. The ball-like fastening means is linked and connected to thecollar by a connecting strap of requisite extensible and retractableelasticity.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a hairpiece-to-hair connectorand fastener on a small scale and further showing the terminal ends of alock or strand of hair fastened to one of the aforementioned collars,the other collar being located and in readiness for the accommodation ofthe coacting terminal ends of an attachable and detachable artificialhairpiece (not detailed).

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section and elevation takenapproximately on the plane of the horizontal section line 2-2 of FIG. 1looking in the direction of the arrows and showing two locks of hair,one of which may be natural and the other artificial, fastened in theirrespectively cooperable collars.

FIG. 3 is a view at right angles to FIG. 2 and which may be convenientlydescribed as taken on the section line 33 of FIG. 2 and which shows asingle collar, a single ball-type fastener and its captive strap andfurther showing how both artificial and natural locks of hair can belinked and coupled for retention purposes.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the hairpiece-to-hair connector andfastener of the type wherein two collars are integrally joined but aresusceptible of being severed for individual use if and when necessary.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective the purpose of which is to illustrate,that is within the purview of the invention to utilize, where advisablea single collar and complemental strap-attached ball-like fasteningmeans.

As is evident from the views of the drawing and explanatory descriptionit is within the purview of the inventive concept to employ a dualcollar type as illustrated in FIG. 4 or a single collar type as shown inFIG. 5. Inasmuch as each component part is the same in conjunction it isbelieved that like parts had best be set forth with use of likereference numerals. With reference to FIG. 4 the hairpiece-to-hairconnector and fastener, as a unit, is denoted by the numeral 6. Thecomponent parts are made of pliant compressibly resilient plasticmaterial which is amply soft and pliable that it lends itself to thehair it is intended to be used with. One collar, for example, the one tothe right in FIG. 4 is denoted by the numeral 8 and is annular in plan,the body portion being circular and uniform in cross section from end toend and an inner peripheral surface defining a circular opening 10 forpassage of the hairends on either the natural lock of hair or artificiallock of hair as the case may be and as is perhaps evident from FIGS. 1to 3 inclusive. The complemental or companion fastening means for thiscollar is ball-like in configuration and is denoted by the numeral 12and is of prescribed or requisite size and dimension that it is capableof being forcibly pushed through and lodged in the opening 10 as broughtout in FIGS. 2 and 3. This ball-like fastener is maintained in a captivestate by way of a plastic attaching strap 14, one end 16 of which isfastened to a peripheral surface of the fastener 12 and the other endportion fastened as at 18 to a suitable peripheral surface of thecoacting collar. The collar at the left is of identical construction butfor sake of distinction is here referred to by the numeral 20, the samedefining an opening 22, the ball-like fastener being denoted at 24. Hereagain a connecting plastic strap, like the strap 14 is provided and isdenoted at 26 and has one end 28 joined with the peripheral surface ofthe collar 20, the other end portion 30 joined with a peripheral surfaceof the balltype connector 24. The adjacent peripheral surfaces 32 of therespective collars 8 and 10 are joined by a severable web 34 ofappropriate cross-sectional thickness. It is within the purview of theinvention to employ a pair of scissors or an equivalent cuttingimplement (not shown) to separate the collars 8 and 20 for individualuse.

It is also within the purview of the invention to use each collarcomponent as brought out in FIG. 5, or, as a matter of fact,

to manufacture the same as a single, instead of a dual unit. Theadaptation illustrated in FIG. 5 can be construed as the collar 8.

The invention is so constructed and usable that it may well be set forthas usable in two'basically distinct ways. This is to say, a first basicmode of use pertains to taking the unit as a whole, placing the shaftsof hair of a selected lock and of the user's own hair across the opening10, for example, as brought out in FIG. 1 and as is also evident fromFIG. 2. Using the fingers the ball-type fastener 12 is lined up with andpiloted through and pressed against the hair buckling the hair so thatit spans the opening. By following this procedure the hair is passedthrough the opening and will be securely fastened until it is desired tobe removed by pressing the ball-type fastener back through the statedopening 10. The ball-type fastener is approximately the same size as theopening. Therefore, the addition of the hair creates locking actionalong with the fact that the ball and opening have, in actual practice,appropriately textured antislipping surfaces. As suggested, the entireunit is preferably made of flexible textured plastic material, thetextured surface affording a better retaining action than could beachieved by a smooth finished surface. The fact that the plasticmaterial is flexible allows the elastic strap or arm to which the ballis attached to bend so that the ball can be pushed through the opening,and in addition, utilizing the bent strap to serve the function to gripand hold any excess hair not pressed through the opening by the ball.The second step is to place a desired strand of hair from the selectedhairpiece and position it across the opening, bending it around the balland pressing it and the strand of hair through the opening, thisprocedure completing the retention of the hairpiece to the user's head.The number of connectors and fasteners (also referred to as anchors)required will depend upon the size and character of the hairpiece whichis to be attached and worn.

A second and somewhat basic mode of attachment requires the user toemploy a pair of scissors or other cutting device and to severe thecollars 8 and 20 by cutting the web 34. By using it after being cut inhalf the procedure of use must be changed by placing the desired standof the users own hair and a desired strand of the hair from thehairpiece both over the opening means and pressing the ball or both thestrands of the hair through the opening means. A reason for constructingthe innovation so that it can be cut in half, if desired, is so that itmay be used for extremely small postiches such as single curls or forattachment of postiches in problem areas such as near the hairline wherethe overall length of the unit might be too long and interfere withproper functioning.

The utilization of appropriate plastic material insures sufficientelasticity to adapt the end product for repetitional use and foreconomical purposes. The use of plastic permits manufacturing of the endproduct in a variety of colors to match a variety of hair colors withoutthe use of tape which could, of course, flake off and cause skinreaction. The use of plastic which is nontoxic and the choice of variouscolors to coincide with the users own hair assist in hiding the devicewhen properly used. I

It is submitted that FIG. 4 shows the readyto-use hairpiecetohairconnector and fastener, that a single half of the same is shown aptly inFIG. 5. FIG. 1 shows a first step and FIGS. 2 and 3 show additionalsteps which taken in conjunction with the description will enable thereader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subjectmatter of the invention and manner of use. Accordingly, a more extendeddescription is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: l. A onepiece hairpiece-to-hairlinking and fastening device comprising a collar made of compressiblyresilient material, said collar being annular in plan and the annularportion of the interior peripheral surface defining an unobstructedcircular opening across which hair shafts of a lock of either natural orartificial hair are manually positioned and drawn for temporaryanchorage and retention, a relatively narrow elastic strap having oneend joined integrally with a coacting outer peripheral surface of saidcollar, and fastening means integrally attached to the other end of saidstrap, said fastening means being made of compressibly resilientmaterial.

2. The hairpieceto-hair linking and fastening means defined in andaccording to claim 1 and wherein said fastening means is ball-like inform and of a prescribed size that it can be yieldingly but releasablyplugged into said opening in a manner to buckle the coacting lock ofhair and to bind the portions of the same between coacting peripheralsurfaces of the collar and ball-like fastening means respectively.

3. The hairpiece-to-hair linking and fastening means defined in andaccording to claim 1 and wherein said fastening means is ball-like inform and of a prescribed size that it can be yieldingly but releasablyplugged into said opening in a manner to buckle the coacting lock ofhair and to bind the portions of the same between coacting peripheralsurfaces of the collar and ball-like fastening means respectively, andwherein said strap is of a length sufficient to permit the fasteningmeans to be inserted into and withdrawn from the opening in said collarand wherein a median portion of the fastening means can be relied uponto embrace certain of the shafts of hair to assist in achieving theconnecting and fastening result desired.

4. For use when one desires to connect postiches such as curls, wiglets,falls, ponytails and the like to an end of a lock of natural hair,hairpiece-to-hair connecting and fastening means comprising a pair ofduplicate side-by-side coplanar collars having adjacent outer peripheralsurfaces integrally joined by a severable connecting web, each collardefining an opening across which the hair shafts of a lock of natural orartificial hair can be manually positioned and drawn for temporaryanchorage and retention, each collar being made of compressiblyresilient material, being endless and annular in plan and the annularportion thereof being circular in cross section and said opening beingcircular in plan, an elastic strap having one end integrally joined to acoacting outer peripheral surface of said collar, and hair-fasteningmeans comprising a compressibly resilient spherical ball joined to theother end of said strap, said ball being of a size that it is adapted tobe aligned with and manually pressed and releasably lodged in saidopening, said strap being of a length that it permits the ball to beinserted and forcibly pressed into said opening and subsequentlydislodged and withdrawn from said opening.

1. A one-piece hairpiece-to-hair linking and fastening device comprisinga collar made of compressibly resilient material, said collar beingannular in plan and the annular portion of the interior peripheralsurface defining an unobstructed circular opening across which hairshafts of a lock of either natural or artificial hair are manuallypositioned and drawn for temporary anchorage and retention, a relativelynarrow elastic strap having one end joined integrally with a coactingouter peripheral surface of said collar, and fastening means integrallyattached to the other end of said strap, said fastening means being madeof compressibly resilient material.
 2. The hairpiece-to-hair linking andfastening means defined in and according to claim 1 and wherein saidfastening means is ball-like in form and of a prescribed size that itcan be yieldingly but releasably plugged into said opening in a mannerto buckle the coacting lock of hair and to bind the portions of the samebetween coacting peripheral surfaces of the collar and ball-likefastening means respectively.
 3. The hairpiece-to-hair linking andfastening means defined in and according to claim 1 and wherein saidfastening means is ball-like in form and of a prescribed size that itcan be yieldingly but releasably plugged into said opening in a mannerto buckle the coacting lock of hair and to bind the portions of the samebetween coacting peripheral surfaces of the collar and ball-likefastening means respectively, and wherein said strap is of a lengthsufficient to permit the fastening means to be inserted into andwithdrawn from the opening in said collar and wherein a median portionof the fastening means can be relied upon to embrace certain of theshafts of hair to assist in achieving the connecting and fasteningresult desired.
 4. For use when one desires to connect postiches such ascurls, wIglets, falls, ponytails and the like to an end of a lock ofnatural hair, hairpiece-to-hair connecting and fastening meanscomprising a pair of duplicate side-by-side coplanar collars havingadjacent outer peripheral surfaces integrally joined by a severableconnecting web, each collar defining an opening across which the hairshafts of a lock of natural or artificial hair can be manuallypositioned and drawn for temporary anchorage and retention, each collarbeing made of compressibly resilient material, being endless and annularin plan and the annular portion thereof being circular in cross sectionand said opening being circular in plan, an elastic strap having one endintegrally joined to a coacting outer peripheral surface of said collar,and hair-fastening means comprising a compressibly resilient sphericalball joined to the other end of said strap, said ball being of a sizethat it is adapted to be aligned with and manually pressed andreleasably lodged in said opening, said strap being of a length that itpermits the ball to be inserted and forcibly pressed into said openingand subsequently dislodged and withdrawn from said opening.